April has arrived.....

....and the snow is still here and I'm planning on it 'til June but the days are very beautiful here in Pine Valley and we have had a lot of sunshine, however; it doesn't make it to the north side of the house. The large boulder in front of my front door is annoying and has been there since the first snow. I must remember in years to come to go out every day and remove the snow.

This is what still greets me out my front door and it's April.....argh..Yay for snow.

Speaking of snow, Steve and Phyllis joined us at Paul's funeral.  Paul Rowe Thomas (we all called him Jerome, thus the PJ) was laid to rest yesterday in Beaver. Several other classmates not pictured were there, like Doug Rogers, Dennis Grover, Steve Shakespeare, Tom Seegmiller and others I may have missed but was a pretty good representation of the Class of '68.

Paul was such a good friend to all. I had a crush on him when he first moved here (1965) and he lived just through the block from me so I would spy on him daily. I soon realized I was no competition to Shirlee Esplin and about that time, Scott Wells entered my heart to stay forever. Paul has remained dear to my heart as a really good friend. He will be missed.

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I left my car yesterday at Lauri's and rode to Beaver with Larry and Carol Ann so I was able to stop in for a little band concert by Lucy, Molly and Annie. I wish I would have snapped a pic but Lucy's violin was a small garden shovel and a twig and Molly's clarinet was a branch from a tree. Such creative girls.  Loved their program......


Speaking of program, Lucy's baptism was in March and I was honored to be on the program. I played the piano and gave the baptism talk in which I had made 3 white baptism bears.....Bear His name, Bear one another's burdens and Bear you testimony. I gave Lucy and Liam each a white bear to remind them on this. (Didn't take pics) but what a fun day filled with family.

Lucy looked so beautiful.

My Pizza Factory date with Lucy.
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A few pics to remember January-March 2019.......

I always love to watch for the first daffodil.  It was a little late this year but oh my, what a crop.  Here in Pine Valley mine are still under 2 inches of snow.  Hope I get to see them soon.

 George organized this Older Cousins Crazy Gramma Camp before he left on his mission.  Love these crazy kids.

 I don't think my hot tub was meant for the whole bunch....

 ....but here they are.

 Daring each other to roll in the snow.....

 So fast I couldn't even get a pic but notice someone heading for the trampoline!!!

 Yes, I do love each an every one of them and all the ones that aren't there.

 For Christmas I gave them these latex bubble blowing thingys.....

 ...and challenged them to blow the biggest bubble they could....

....and send me a picture. Jake, Jack and Lux......I'm gonna call it a tie. 

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Before I leave March, I've got to for sure remember our yearly trip to Florida.  Joslyn has a new house now in Celebration, Florida and I always love going there.  She welcomed us with open arms and we had a grand time.

We always love a trip to the beach and a boat ride.....

....always love some Krispy Kremes....

We went to Sea World and you guessed it.......

....and we always find our favorite eateries.....It was such a good time.

I've gone to Heritage Elementary the last few years, first with Evan and not Matty. This year I showed the bears that I've been making and took a treat of gummy bears for her class.  I really enjoy this tradition and glad that I live close and can attend Grandparents Day and I'm glad that Matty invites me.
Bowling with Seth (no pic) and lunch with Em....more March highlights.

She's 16 now and sweet as can be......

Not the best year for my sis.....

....as her husband died last July, big adjustment and she fell down some stairs at her friends house and hurt her shoulder which she had operated on in February.  I moved in with her for 2 weeks to help her recover and she has done a really great job of it and she learned a lot about patience.  Dr. Randy Clark did the surgery and it was a little weird as I know him as the little boy that lived in my neighborhood and played with my boys but he's all grown up now and a very excellent orthopedic surgeon here.  It's so fun to see what these little kids all grew up to be.  In our neighborhood alone we have, I think 6 veterinarians, a dentist and a doctor or two plus other degrees that are just as important but not quite as prestigious.  I'm very proud of the Morningside Park kids.  Didn't know what they would all amount to but they are all doing very well and representing.  Great place to raise kids.
I kept busy while taking care of Joyce with my new hobby,  Amigurumi (編みぐるみ, lit. crocheted or knitted stuffed toy) is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures. The word is a portmanteau of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll.^[1] In the West they are called amigurumi, which are the original phonetics of 編みぐるみ in Japanese language.^[2] Amigurumi vary in size and there are no restrictions about size or look.^[3] While the art of amigurumi has been known in Japan for several decades, the craft first started appealing to the masses in other countries, especially in the West, in 2003.^[4] By 2006, amigurumi were reported to be some of the most popular items on Etsy, an online craft marketplace, where they typically sold for $10 to $100.^[4] Since then, popularity has continued to increase.^[5]

Here are some of the bears I have made. I'm trying to do one for each of my grandkids for their birthday. I'm sure they might think they are silly but I want them to all have something I have made before I die which I hope will be a long ways away because I'm so happy and healthy and enjoying Pine Valley life. There was a time I told Scott to come get me when I turned 60 but I'm sure glad he didn't because I married Randy and we are really good together.  Whoever may read this, let me know what color of bear you want and I'll be "beary" happy to make you one.

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Speaking of Randy, he lives here now, spent the day getting a new Utah driver's license and the cars registered here. He will soon start looking for work but it sure is nice to have him finally here.  We love to drive around this area and check things out.  This is the overflow at the Baker Res. Dam.

 This is a picture of the spillway. The water is starting to melt off the mountain and it should be a stellar year for water. 

I got ambitious today and jellied up the three quarts of juice I had in the freezer and got 21 little jars of beautiful jelly. Now this really sparks joy as they all set up just beautifully.....and speaking of things that spark joy (that term is from Marie Kondo and her tiddying up book) my family.  We had reason (Mae's birthday and Traci's invitation) to celebrate and I loved every minute of it. 

 It was so fun to celebrate Mae. She is such a little bright spot in all of our lives. All girl.....but  not really. With 4 brothers, she's a little bit boy but mostly girl.

It was a beautiful day to sit and chat and watch the kids run around.

 Lux and Kix were in town so it was fun to have them celebrate with us as well as Mason, Mandy, Miller and McKay.

 Mason brought his toys and let everyone have a turn at "hovering" (not even sure what this is called) but it was really cool. 

I love taking the little ones to Pizza Factory where they make them a pizza of their age.

 She ate the whole thing.....

 Cutest little four year old.....

I need to add a "Mae-ism" here for posterity.  The other day she needed to go potty and likes me to come with her for some reason and usually I do but this day I didn't want to get out of my chair so I told her to call me when she is through and she said....."but I don't have a phone".  More catch up to come but bye for now.

March Madness.....

....and I'm not talking about basketball.  It's been snowing like crazy for the last two days. We needed to get Randy moved here so he drove his paint van down on Sunday then we drove the Kia and the trailer back to Cali on Monday and then the Kia with the loaded trailer back on Tues. We had to stop three different times to cover up the load but the last tarp made it home and it's now parked in our driveway attached to the Kia and we're pretty much snowed in. That was three straight days of Highway 50 for Randy. We popped in a book on tape, the Gary Sinese biography which entertained us the whole way back. It was a good listen. Anyway, the state of Pine Valley right now on the day after the first day of Spring is snowy.

 I always have a large pile of snow on my front porch but here you can see the new layer as well as the other porch.

I'm writing this post in the afternoon of the day after the first day of Spring and I think the sun is finally coming out.  The blue sky looks beautiful as a background of the snow.

Maybe this will be the last for a while, just enough sun to melt a few berms from my yard would be good. But I have to say I still love it here.  Four years ago when I made the decision to sell my house and my cabin and buy this, my mom said it would be a big mistake (and her voice is always in my brain) and I'm sure there were others who thought I was crazy especially Randy's family.  Sometimes I get lonely (no more, Randy is here) and I want to be with my family but the minute I'm with them I want to be home. I often wonder when I will know I've made a mistake and what I will do if that time ever comes but for now, I love it here.  I'm comfortable here. I love all four seasons. I even love the snow. It gives me pause to slow life down a bit and just watch. I love that my birds that still come in the winter. I love that the fire keeps me warm and I just love that I feel "at home" here.  I think I'm fine for a while.  The people here are lovely, but I'm up high on the mountain, with only the birds and turkeys as my neighbors so let's just say, I'm not here for the people. The brethren keep my place cleaned off so I'm not snowed in and for that I am grateful but I think I'd be fine spending the whole winter here snowed in.   I think you get the picture.  I'm where I belong and count my blessings daily.

This is the view from in front of Joyce's home. I stayed with her for a couple of weeks helping her recoup from her shoulder surgery. I really enjoyed my time with her and was glad I could help. The background of the Pine Valley mountain is always captivating and especially on this day when all the colors were so vivid (not so much in this picture but in reality).  It just made my heart sing to know I live up there. Joyce has recovered well. She still has a ways to go but I can go down and help her whenever she needs me.

Half way through the month already.....

....and there's still lots of snow on the ground but it's raining pretty hard and the snow is falling off my roof in huge bundles that shake my whole house but I'm glad to be getting the load lighter up there ready for the new batch that is sure to come soon.  I spent 3 nights helping out with kids and I was glad to get back to my home last night to find everything just fine.  It's always a worry wondering if pipes will freeze and we'll come back to lots of unwanted water but so far, so good.  We seem to have the right combination of heaters turned on to keep things warm in here.  I do love my home and it feels good when I am here.

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 George's farewell address was this past Sunday and it's always a family's proud moment to send a child on a mission.  As the grandma, I'm a bit more relaxed but I do remember the stress of it all but in the end, I felt like I was laying my baby in a crib for a nap, safe and sound for a couple of hours....and for two years, they would be safe and sound in Heavenly Father's care. George is such a pure, good boy and loves people and loves life. He will be an awesome missionary and as I listened to him play the piano last night, wow....what a talent to share with the New Hampshire, Manchester mission.  I also Facetimed with Layee in Lithuania and enjoyed seeing her and knowing she is at least fairly warm.......

I loved this post from Laynee......and I love her honesty. She recognizes her dislike f cold and birds but she loves it and she has always been able to do hard things.  She will be great for the next 4 months and the culture shock will wear off soon for sure but I do admire her adventurous nature and courage.

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Scott's guitar talent will be showcased tonight at Dixie's Got Talent tonight......and I can't help but be nervous for him but he's got this and he's excited.  Just to end this post, let me say I'm thankful for all of my talented grandkids and their coolness and cuteness. I relish any minute I can spend in their presence and was so happy I got to see everyone this week-end at George's farewell and to me, this is one priceless pic.........future missionaries for sure.....

......and am so grateful I've been able to watch them grow up. I also must express gratitude for my Pine Valley home....I love it here so much and I love being in the middle of every single season that God has placed on this earth and I can't think of anywhere to enjoy them more than sitting here by my fire today watching it rain on all of the snow.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.....

....and it has here in Pine Valley.  Mid-January and there's about 2 feet piled up on my porch where the sun doesn't shine so I'm s'posin' it will be there 'til spring but I do love it. I get annoyed at times if I have to go out in it to get something or feed the birds, but for the most part, it is water for our dry land in the spring and I do love the four seasons that we have here. Spring is so anticipated and enjoyed so much more after a lingering snow is gone.  I'm blogging again and cutting back on Instagram and Face Book.  This way if someone wants to know what's happening in Pine Valley, they can check my blog instead of the "in your face" approach of the other social media.  I do enjoy it tho' so I will continue checking it out but for now, I hope I'm back to blogging.

I'm in my 4th winter here and lovin' it still.  This home is so very cozy to me and I don't like to be away long. We were in Florida for over a week and it was just a bit too long. When we got back, all was well.  We left enough heat on for our water pipes and everything was in working order and we received a warm welcome.  We love to keep the birds fed.  We've added a couple more feeders and we have gone through 2 big bags of feed but at least the squirrels aren't eating it all.

Actually, they probably did take the equivalent of a large bag back to their winter quarters.  George's farewell is today and he leaves for New Hampshire next week.  That will leave a huge hole in our family dynamics. Laynee is in Lithuana with a group teaching English and I'm sure she will have a wonderful experience for 4 months, leaving another hole but only for a little while.  We gathered at Veyo for our 3rd annual skate party missing a few families but a good time was had by all. 

 Who brought the grocery cart.....as if it's not dangerous enough here.

A beautiful Sunday morning and I'm headed off the mountain to be with my family.  Over and out for this post.  Pics will be posted later.  Good bye from my Pine Valley home to yours wherever it is.

Snow over-hang from my bedroom window.......baby it's cold outside.

There's a dog barking.....

......and I can't sleep.  Seems insomnia has been a problem for me all my life. I remember as  little girl sitting on my mom's lap and her having to smash an aspirin for me because I couldn't swallow pills and I remember many a night lying awake in my bed with my sister sound asleep and me there worrying about my dad who had gone out to turn the water. I could never really kick the anxiety until he was home. I'm sure the lack of meaningful sleep was what affected my moods as a child and as I look back, I can see that I've had this same problem all of my life. I try to take stuff, pills and such to help me sleep but most of them have the reverse affect.....I'm wired and my nerves are literally on end and I have to keep moving to even stand to be in my own skin. Not sure what is keeping me awake tonight. Lots of stuff going through my head. My sister just lost her husband to a terrible farm accident, the kind I thought would happen to my dad.....ironically, it was with my dad's tractor that Jay had. the accident. He tried to start it and it revved up and pulled him under the wheel. I lay awake worrying about my sister wondering what I can best do to help her. Then it takes me back to when I became a widow. I think I can understand what she is going through but it was so long ago. I remember even though I was surrounded by loving family and friends, I was still so alone without the love of my life by my side. I was so grateful he didn't have to suffer any more but I was so lonely. I had Lauri and Traci with me and we had a lot of fun but at the end of the day, I was alone. I feel like I tried really hard for normalcy. I did various things to keep me busy. I went back to work at the college which helped me a lot and I went on a mission....but in all of it, I was still alone. I learned to deal with it. I found out that I'm really a slob. I don't cook or clean unless I know someone is coming. Part of my sleep problem is that I lay awake thinking of all the time I have wasted in the day but then again, I have this beautiful property and home and when I'm doing nothing, I'm enjoying the beautiful surroundings and feeling so very blessed that I own it.....but then I get disgusted that I can't take care of it. I've always felt like everyone needs to learn the art of doing nothing. I do it well....I just don't feel good about it yet. Today is one of those days but I did get out on my scooter and went down to get the mail, a BLT at the Brandin' Iron and some ice cream. It was a good outing for me. Now....here I am, needing and wanting to sleep but the dogs are barking. I put my good ear down but I still know they are barking and it bugs me that people will let their dogs bark.